After going undefeated for ten matches, Daventry wanted to finish the season on a high, but the players found it very difficult to raise their game, in a sports stadium ill equipped to host football matches at this level.
A little light relief, was provided by the Guildford players who warmed up for the game in fancy dress, a tradition going back three years, for their last home game of the season!
Guildford may tick all the boxes required by the FA to put on games at this leisure centre, but supporters being kept about twenty metres away from the edge of the pitch, no suitable bar area and portakabin changing rooms for players and officials, hardly creates the atmosphere of a football venue.
Town should have taken the lead in the first minute, Adam Confue finding himself in plenty of open space in front of goal, but he somehow managed to put his shot wide of the goal.
Ashley Robinson also had a good run and shot on goal but his shot was this time deflected by a defender for a corner.
There were very few chances created in the first half, a shot from Guildford striker Sean Rivers fell straight into the arms of the returning Joe Mellings, usual Daventry keeper Richard Morris otherwise engaged, on his wedding day.
A hugely disappointing first half performance from both teams, the GCFC Sweeney valiantly trying to create some atmosphere across the wide open spaces, the wind playing tricks with the ball in the air, deceiving both players and supporters with its flight path.
Guildford took the lead with a wonderful half volley from Casey McCabe, a fine strike, giving Joe Mellings no chance of saving the shot, sending Spiderman, the Teletubbies and Tarzan into rapturous celebrations!
Ashley Robinson was felled just outside the area, but the resulting free kick from Neil King was comfortably saved by keeper Antony Hall. Dan Moody took a free kick for Guildford moments later, which was headed on narrowly past the post by striker Scott Todd.
This was becoming a typical end of season match, with both teams looking like they had very little to play for, a real lack of urgency around the goal mouth, passes going astray and weak shots at goal. Mykel Beckley got himself into a number of shooting positions, but too often his final ball was misplaced, his final shot hit high over the cross – bar, before being replaced by Eyasin Hussein.
Guildford got their second in the sixty ninth minute,a scramble around the goal mouth saw Guildford Captain Simon Cooper stroke the ball onto the post, and Junior Kaffo pounced to nudge the ball over the line, before Mellings or the Daventry defenders could clear the ball to safety.
Once two goals down, Daventry began to look very weary, a long season beginning to take its toll on a number of players.
Yaz Hussein, coming on as a substitute for Beckley breathed some new life into the Town attack, a good clean tackle preventing the youngster from getting in a shot on goal, in the eightieth minute.
Guildford midfielder Danny Bada, just failed to get his foot to a firmly hit ball across the Daventry area, and Ryan Howell came close up the other end, when anxious Guildford defenders failed to clear the ball, Howell having his header cleared over the bar, from near the goal line.
A poor end to what has been a very good season, most of the Purple Army will be pleased with the progress Town have made since last season’s poor showing, we should be optimistic that Town will once again be challenging at the top end of the table next season, we finished the season ten points above Guildford City, who finished in ninth place, one place below us. There were eight good teams in this league, we were one of them!

JWD©